Event

NOTE: Eric Raymond was scheduled to speak at this event, but due to a schedule conflict, Eric will only be speaking in Waltham on Wednesday 1/23 (http://AgileBoston.org/jan-23-waltham-eric-raymond/)

Do you convene meetings at work? Do you have some say regarding who is or is not hired? Are you bored at work, and ready to make changes now, and tired of waiting for your organization to really "get it"?

If so, "culture hacking" is the game for you. Culture hacking is the act of intentionally experimenting with influencing culture, for your betterment and the betterment of others in your organization. The most fruitful culture hacks are those that tip your organization in the direction of more learning at the group level.

Agile is a learning framework built on 4 core values and 12 principles of the Agile Manifesto. Agile practices are built upon this foundation, which encourage learning. Agile is a culture hack. Agile practices and patterns are culture hacking techniques.

Attend this session to learn about culture hacking. Learn specific hacks you can implement tomorrow. A hack is a specific, small intervention, a small change in your behavior individually and with others, which has the potential to make a big impact. Culture hacks are small, low-cost, low-risk changes that have at least the potential to make a significant impact. When effective hacks are implemented over time, and in harmony with each other, the results can be quite impressive.

Harmony and balance is the name of the game with culture hacking. Effective hacks leverage what is already in taking place, and make a small tweak of change that makes a big impact, or has a high "learning yield". Human systems are living, like a tree, or a garden. Composition is the act of arranging things so they work better together. Culture hacking is all about that.

Contrary to popular belief, culture is always available to be tweaked, modified and refined. The trick is to start small, and start small. Start generating new expansive stories, and make those old limiting company stories more difficult to tell.

Culture is malleable and responsive to change. This session explains how to make small changes that have a big impact inside your team, department or division.

Attend this session to get introduced to culture hacking. You will exit this session with the following takeaways:

- Quickly understand how you already have permission to do this, and how to stop asking for permission

- Learn about the concepts and facilities of culture hacking, and the wider culture hacking movement that is taking shape worldwide

- Learn about how to apply culture hacking to your context, where you work, and have fun doing it!

- Examine specific Agile practices as culture hacks, and analyze why they work. Investigate Scrum and Kanban through the lens of culture hacking

- Explore the agricultural (emphasis added) discipline known as permaculture and how it relates to culture hacking

- Explore an enumeration of 16 specific hacks you can pick from and experiment with tomorrow, at work, in pursuit of more learning, productivity and fun in your organization.

- Gain access to books, web pages and papers that provide you with a toolkit to start playing the game of hacking the culture of your organization.

Ten copies of the book THE CULTURE GAME written by the presenter will be raffled off at this event.

About The Presenter:

Dan Mezick is a coach and trusted adviser to executives, project sponsors, managers and teams developing complex products. He is the author of THE CULTURE GAME: Tools for the Agile Manager. Since 2008, Dan has delivered Agile coaching and training to over 7500 individuals working in organizations like Zappos Insights, CIGNA Insurance, Sikorsky Aircraft, SIEMENS Healthcare Diagnostics, and dozens of smaller organizations throughout New England and the United States.

Workbar Atlantic Ave is right down the street from the MBTA Red & Silver Lines (South Station stop). It is also just a short walk from the Orange Line (Chinatown or Downtown Crossing stops) and the Green Line (Boylston or Park Street stops).